SPORTS NOTES
SPRING SPORTS REVIEW The Gustavus men’s and women’s athletic teams registered a very successful spring season, with men’s and women’s tennis teams claiming conference titles and the men’s and women’s track and field squads and the softball team posting second-place finishes. Both tennis teams went on to claim MIAC playoff titles and earn automatic berths in their respective NCAA tournaments. Others qualifying for NCAA tournament play included the men’s and women’s golf teams and members of the men’s and women’s track and field teams. The women’s golf team just missed a national title, finishing second to Methodist, while the men’s golf team finished 17th The women’s tennis team finished in a tie for 9th place and the men ended up in a tie for 17th at the NCAA championships. The women’s track and field team wrapped up the 2010–11 athletic year with a 13th-place finish at the national meet. The Gustie women finished second in the MIAC All-Sports standings behind St. Thomas, while the men finished third behind St. Thomas and St. Olaf.
Helland wins national heptathlon title
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or the second year in a row, the Gustavus track and field program has crowned a national champion in dramatic fashion. This year, it is senior Janey Helland, who came from behind in the final event to win the NCAA Division III national title in the heptathlon, following last year’s dramatic finish by Max Hanson to win the 800-meter national title. Helland, who trailed Emma Dewart of Ithaca College by three points heading into the seventh and final event of the heptathlon, registered a career-best time of 2:19.47 in the 800-meter run to finish 46 points ahead of Dewart for the national title. It is the seventh individual event title claimed by Gustavus at NCAA outdoor championships. Helland’s total of 5,061 points shattered the school record of 4,762 set in 2008 by Kaelene Lundstrum ’10. She becomes only the fifth heptathlete to score over 5,000 points at the NCAA championships in Division III history; her total is the sixth-highest ever registered at the national meet. Helland posted personal best efforts in five of the seven events, including a time of 15.60 in the 100-meter hurdles, an effort of 5 feet, 4 1/4 inches in the high jump, an effort of 35 feet, 8 inches in the shot put, a toss of 123 feet, 4 inches in the javelin, and a time of 2:19.47 in the 800-meter run.
The 2011 MIAC champion Gustavus Adolphus College women’s tennis team.
The 2011 MIAC champion Gustavus Adolphus College men’s tennis team.
FALL 2011
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